Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-05
BUILDING BRIDGES.

A Bit of History Concerning the First
Spanning OF the Mississippi at this
4Point-Opposition to the Enterprise
Thirty Years ago.
The recent completion OF the highway
bridge over the Mississippi at Dubuque
and the grand jubilee over the fact. re-
calls the circumstances connected with
building of the first railway bridge across
the Mississippi at this point thirty two
years ago-in 1855. Its construction
then created much excitement which ais
most resulted in open rebellion. Prior
to that date, all the goods and passengers
passing between Iowa and Illinois were
handled by freighters and were trans
ported on ferry boats. There were many
men engaged in this transportation bust
ness. whose outfit consisted of wagons
and teams. The Chicago Times says:
SIT was these men who were the prin-
cipal opponents of the bridge, as, of
course. it deprived them of their occupa
ton, The two cities, Davenport and
Rock Island. which were the terminal of
the bridge. were also opposed to the con
struction of the bridge, They argued
| that it would make their towns mere way
stations. and that everything would pass
through without contributing any toll on
its passage"
But the Davenport Democrat Gazette
corrects the Chicago paper and says;
1t was the steamboat men who were
the principal opponents OF the bridge.
In the early SOS these waters fairly
swarmed with steamboats,, and every man
engaged in steamboating declared that
the bridge would be great obstruction
to navigation. They held meetings and
passed resolutions denouncing the pro-
ject. petitioned congress to prevent the
building of the bridge. and did everything
that lay in their power to stop it's con-
struction. They attempted to knock
away the Golfers about the pier sites, tC
knock down the bridge timbers when in
place, and they fired the wooden struc
ture twice after it was finished. St. Louis
arose IN her wrath and opposed the
bridge fiercely. As Wilke says in hi
history of Davenport, certain old fash,
Toned dogmas, having origin when mer
understood less than now the true prin
ciples of commercial industry, governeI
St. Louis and other places in their hs
tired to the bridge. 1t was a dogm,
founded upon the most intense selfish
ness. and as devoid of liberality as tn
system of monopoly which once dis
graced the civilization of France. Tina
Davenport or Council Bluffs had n
right to be connected with New York
and that St. Louis possessed some pre-
dominant and lndisputatle claim to thei
commerce, seemed to have been the bas
of action taken by the latter city"
The Democrat Gazette continues:
The corner stone of the bridge Wa
) laid ON the 1st day of September, 1856.
with public demonstration of favor i
: Davenport. Judge Grant of this city
and Joseph Knox, of Rock Island. mad
speeches. The bridge was complete
, September 8, 1S56-and trains crossed
that day.
Influenced BY st. Louis, Memphi
Vicksburg and New Orleans, JEFF Davi
secretary of war in 1854. opposed Il
r building of the bridge Shortly after i
e commencement, under permission fro
D the state of Illinois. he issued an ord
o commanding the marshal for the distri
4 of Illinois to clear the Rock Island of {
y trespassers. This was done in face of Il
= fact that the island had been abandon,
a by both of Davis predecessors-Poi
Il and Maryland had been turned over
. the land department from the nOrthwes
. the order was not made applicable to t
\ railroad company which WAS building
10 grade across the island. nor to the bird!
% company.
m 1t can be said that all the prediction
q of the steamboatmen concerning th
70 first bridge across the Mississippi prov
s, true. Its draw pier was SO placed that
D. created great currents in the draw cha
or mel, and no pilot dare attempt to INA
a the Davenport bridge" in the nigl
Of Steamboats, and cargees were either da
a, aged or utterly destroyed by it, until
!, aggregate loss was in the hundreds
= thousands. Eighteen years after its col
pletion it was taken down-having be
superseded by the new bridge, which b
the easiest draw channel on the river.
ia The conception of enterprise and t
. carrying 1t out are more creditable to I
he people of both the Dubuques. The Ia
Use way bridge was close concern; the pc
ne pie could not pass between the poir
" with their vehicles unless they employ
~ the ferry. Among themselves, with tn
~ own capital, they secured at cost
ne something like S125.00O emancipati
NO from the ferry-boat and railway bird
ty tyranny. They have now a wagon Bird
ch so high above high water mark that
is draw for passing steamers is necessal
They can cross the river at all seasons
re the year without a resort to the fer
ry boat in summer or the often dangert
ice in winter. And the Dubuque fe
S.: company never kicked 1t knows d
~ its business will yield heavy dividends
o.' the investment, though bridge be 0,
and horsp cara rroes il